The American challenge in uniform: the arrival of America’s armies in World War II and European women
A vast body of material exists – memoirs, diaries, films, plays, novels, official records – on the impact and reception of America’s armed forces armies in Europe after 1942. Britain, Italy, France, Austria and of course Germany all offer relevant evidence. The popular British phrase about the GI’s...
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European Association for American Studies
2012-03-01
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| Series: | European Journal of American Studies |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/9577 |
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| author | David Ellwood |
| author_facet | David Ellwood |
| author_sort | David Ellwood |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A vast body of material exists – memoirs, diaries, films, plays, novels, official records – on the impact and reception of America’s armed forces armies in Europe after 1942. Britain, Italy, France, Austria and of course Germany all offer relevant evidence. The popular British phrase about the GI’s being ‘over-paid, over-sexed and over here’ brilliantly sums up many of the tensions the encounter threw up: over money and life-styles, courtship rituals and the treatment of local women, over sovereignty and the American impulse to requisition every local resource they could get their hands on. Local men thought ‘their’ women were being requisitioned. The Americans had not come to do ‘nation-building’, and yet their presence left memories, changed attitudes and altered prospects on the future, especially among women. Afterwards American experts claimed that their armed forces had set off a ‘revolution of rising expectations’. Although a contradictory, complex encounter, there is enough evidence to suggest they might have been right. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-78e8d8b4e41c45079dae2d81c8e17d05 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1991-9336 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2012-03-01 |
| publisher | European Association for American Studies |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of American Studies |
| spelling | doaj-art-78e8d8b4e41c45079dae2d81c8e17d052025-01-06T09:10:26ZengEuropean Association for American StudiesEuropean Journal of American Studies1991-93362012-03-017210.4000/ejas.9577The American challenge in uniform: the arrival of America’s armies in World War II and European womenDavid EllwoodA vast body of material exists – memoirs, diaries, films, plays, novels, official records – on the impact and reception of America’s armed forces armies in Europe after 1942. Britain, Italy, France, Austria and of course Germany all offer relevant evidence. The popular British phrase about the GI’s being ‘over-paid, over-sexed and over here’ brilliantly sums up many of the tensions the encounter threw up: over money and life-styles, courtship rituals and the treatment of local women, over sovereignty and the American impulse to requisition every local resource they could get their hands on. Local men thought ‘their’ women were being requisitioned. The Americans had not come to do ‘nation-building’, and yet their presence left memories, changed attitudes and altered prospects on the future, especially among women. Afterwards American experts claimed that their armed forces had set off a ‘revolution of rising expectations’. Although a contradictory, complex encounter, there is enough evidence to suggest they might have been right.https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/9577World War IILiberationoccupationwomen and warUS armed serviceswestern Europe |
| spellingShingle | David Ellwood The American challenge in uniform: the arrival of America’s armies in World War II and European women European Journal of American Studies World War II Liberation occupation women and war US armed services western Europe |
| title | The American challenge in uniform: the arrival of America’s armies in World War II and European women |
| title_full | The American challenge in uniform: the arrival of America’s armies in World War II and European women |
| title_fullStr | The American challenge in uniform: the arrival of America’s armies in World War II and European women |
| title_full_unstemmed | The American challenge in uniform: the arrival of America’s armies in World War II and European women |
| title_short | The American challenge in uniform: the arrival of America’s armies in World War II and European women |
| title_sort | american challenge in uniform the arrival of america s armies in world war ii and european women |
| topic | World War II Liberation occupation women and war US armed services western Europe |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/9577 |
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